Another day of cultural clubs, then sports clubs, and finally the culinary ones. Evan sighed and said something along the lines of they saved the best for last.
Rufus—who was aiming to join the track and field club—had a different opinion.
They argued about it for a moment.
"Actually, where's Shaun?"
"He said he has training at work."
Evan fell into thought for a moment.
"You think what he said about working in the porn industry and having a patron is true?"
Rufus laughed a little and summed it up simply:
"Not even a little."
"Why?"
"Patronage is serious but risky business. And nobody takes someone under patronage without a very specific reason."
Evan looked around and spotted someone strange.
"Who's that?"
He turned to the side and saw someone a full head taller than the crowd. It looked like their hands were clasped as if in prayer—but a moment later Evan realized they weren't hands, but claws. When she emerged fully from between the students, he could see she had an abdomen and walked on four legs.
"A… mantis?"
Rufus looked the same direction.
"That's Morona. You can't talk to her."
"Can't talk to her? Is she like Frida?"
He took another look at the girl. She didn't look like a delinquent. As he studied her, he also noticed she had rather impressive breasts.
"No, but you can't understand what she says."
"Can't understand?"
"Try yourself if you don't believe me."
Evan only shrugged and walked up to the mantis girl.
"Excuse me, Morona?"
She slowly turned toward him. It was fascinating to watch how she moved on four legs.
"You seek something, though you know not that it lies closer to you than you dare imagine."
At first he was confused by such an answer. He didn't understand why she spoke that way.
"Good morning, Morona."
"At the beginning one must offer wishes of prosperity."
She really did speak in a very unusual way.
"Are you in the poetry club?"
He actually wasn't sure if such a club even existed at the academy.
"What can a seed do when it cannot find its soil, nor a place where it may sprout?"
She lowered her head sadly.
"So… there's no poetry club at the school and you didn't manage to start one."
She leaned closer to him and looked into his eyes with a gentle smile.
"Do flowers pour from your lips to caress ears with their melody?"
"No. I'm a cook, not a poet."
"Fate does not always straighten our paths."
At that moment a phone rang somewhere.
"Fate cares not for the plans of mortals. Will your path lead you to me again?"
"Yes, I'd like to talk with you again."
Morona walked off to her own affairs, and Evan returned to Rufus—who looked as if his brain had completely shut down.
"Rufus? Rufus? RUFUS!"
Only when Evan yelled did he snap out of it.
"You… understand what she says?!"
He pointed at Evan with a trembling finger.
"Yes? Why?"
Rufus turned away and physically recoiled.
"Humans are terrifying."
Evan had no idea what to say.